BIBLICAL ZOOLOGY 

In the Banner of Jan. 16, 1976, appeared an article by J. D. Eppinga on BIBLICAL ZOOLOGY. This article appears on page 9 of this issue. Writing on the fact that so many animals are mentioned in the Word of God, he writes the following:

Coming home, I reflected on his answer and en- lamed a train of thought. What a lot of animals there are: in the Bible! They are mentioned in its fast chapter. In the second chapter, they are brought to Adam for naming. In

Genesis 3,

there is the serpent. The gospel story cannot be told without reference to creatures created a little lower than man. If God hadn’t loved them all so much, He wouldn’t have given them a boat ride in

Genesis 7…

As vice-regents of the earth, let us love and care for all (God’s) creatures, great and small. Like Thoreau. Like Francis of Assisi. Meanwhile, don’t forget to work toward and pray for the coming of God’s kingdom. 

Wherein “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.”

Isa. 11:6

When I read this article, I said to myself, “What kind of language is this when speaking about the flood?” Is it proper to speak of the flood as a “boat ride”? Besides, what is Eppinga’s conception of working and praying for the coming of God’s kingdom? As did Thoreau? Thoreau, I understand, was not a believer in God and in His Christ. Does Eppinga mean that we work and pray for the coming of the kingdom of God when we love and care for all God’s creatures, as did Thoreau? Does Eppinga believe in the kingdom of God in the postmillenarian sense of the word?

CHIANG VS. CHOU IN DEATH 

This article appeared in CHRISTIAN BEACON, Jan. 15, 1976, Vol. 40, No. 49, page 1. We now quote the following from this article:

The death of Chou En-lai can be contrasted with the death of Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang Kai-shek had a Christian funeral. Only 23 nations sent any form of representation. Chou En-lai received eulogies from more than one hundred nations. President Ford and Dr. Kissinger praised his leadership. The newspapers of the United States and the networks also praised him as a great statesman. 

Here was a man who was responsible for the murder of millions of human beings. As prime minister he killed more Christians than Hitler ever killed Jews. 

His death has revealed two things. First, his body as it lay in state had over it the red flag with the hammer and the sickle. This has been the emblem of the USSR. The Red Chinese have had their own flag, but in death Chou En-lai revealed the real heart of his whole life—the hammer and the sickle. This is the emblem that Communism is using to unite the world in its elimination of U.S. “imperialism,” neocolonialism,” and capitalism.

Second, the so-called break between Red China and Moscow is only on the surface. . . .

With this we substantially agree. We do not care to comment on the remarks of Carl McIntire in re Communism. This is not Christianity’s only enemy. For the rest, however, we must agree. That this murderer of millions was eulogized was undoubtedly politically prompted. We fear that this is sadly true. 

TROUBLE WITHIN THE LCM SYNOD 

CHRISTIAN NEWS has the following to report in its issue of Jan. 12, 1976, page 1:

“Moderates” have been praising while conservatives in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have been criticizing Dr. Jacob Preus, president of the 3 million member church body, for defying a resolution adopted at the church’s 1975 convention in Anaheim, California. 

The Associated Press reported last month in a story from St. Louis: “The president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod says he won’t follow a synod resolution that required him to oust a district president from office.” The December 26 Denver Post headlined the story: “Lutheran President Defies Ouster Order.” The December 23 St. Louis Globe Democrat said: “The Rev. Dr. Jacob A.O. Preus, president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, will not follow a synod resolution that requires him to oust a district president from office, he said Monday.” The St. Louis paper said that “The decision is virtually certain to turn many conservative synod members against the controversial president, who was elected by conservatives seeking doctrinal reform in the 2.8~million member church.” A headline in the December 27 Los Angeles Times read: “Lutheran Leader Defies Resolution.” 

The LCMS directed its president to take action against any district president who defended the theology of “Seminex” and insisted on ordaining and installing graduates of “Seminex” (5-02A). Most graduates of “Seminex” are defending the theological position of their professors at “Seminex.” These professors contend that the Bible contains errors, man may have evolved from some ape-like creature, man does not have an immortal soul, and some of the words and miracles attributed to Jesus in the Bible were not actually said and performed by Jesus. According to some “Seminex” professors, some of these words and miracles may have been fabricated by the early church. Dr. Herman Neunaber, president of the LCMS’s Southern Illinois District, is one of the LCMS’s district presidents who maintains that LCMS ‘ pastors and professors should be allowed to teach that the Bible contains errors and that man does not have an immortal soul. Neunaber has been an ardent defender of the theological position of “Seminex.” Preus has defied the LCMS’s convention resolution and allowed Neunaber to remain in office even though Neunaber has refused to retract his defense of the theology of “Seminex.” 

Neunaber said that “To comply with resolution 502A would hinder the Christian ministry in the area where I am called as District President.” According to Neunaber, “To give ‘stated compliance’ to resolution 5-02A would mean that I no longer support the students and the protest they have raised against the action of Synodical administrators at Concordia Seminary. It is my personal belief that the students not only had the right, but even the Christian duty to protest actions which they believed to be wrong.”

So, the battle lines are being drawn more sharply in the Lutheran Church. It remains to be seen what will be the outcome of this. 

LUTHERAN MERGER? 

LUTHERANS’ ALERT-NATIONAL is a magazine to warn all Lutherans everywhere of the growing liberalism in the Lutheran Church. In its January, 1976, issue, pages 2-3, the following appears. This quotation is by Dr. Redal, president of this magazine.

With the recently expanded cooperation between the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church of America at the seminary level it is very apparent that a merger between the two synods is in the offing. Even though Dr. David Preus, President of the ALC, and Dr. Robert Marshall, President of the ICA, have not specifically endorsed an organic merger their own statements suggest a move in that direction. 

Dr. Preus in an address on October 14th at Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, spoke these words: “The ALC believes that ALC-LCA relations are going well, and we rejoice in that. We believe that Lutheran unity is a present reality. Unity in faith and doctrine with the LCA is overwhelmingly accepted by the ALC people.” 

Dr. Marshall said in an address on September 21, 1975: “Some ALC leaders believe organic union would be a mistake. My view is different.” He further stressed that the LCA will press cooperation with the ALC. 

What we are trying to do in LUTHERANS ALERT-NATIONAL is to warn all Lutherans everywhere of the growing liberalism in the Lutheran Church. Do you want the merged church of the future to teach without opposition the following: 

1. Holy Scripture may contain errors and contradictions? 

2. Adam and Eve are not real people? 

3. Miracles of the Bible perhaps never happened?

4. The sayings of Jesus were injected in the Bible by the early church? 

5. Nothing is of real importance in the Bible that does not deny the Gospel; therefore, extra and pre-marital sex is not necessarily sinful? Homosexuality should be tolerated, and abortion is to be accepted? 

This is the theology of the liberal church today. This is the theology that is at present tolerated in both the ALC and the LCA and the “unity in faith and doctrine” about which Dr. Preus speaks. The merger of these two bodies would only solidify the hold on these false teachings. 

Again we say with emphasis, unless the grass roots in the ALC and LCA wake up, this is the church for your children. Is that what you want?

To this we add: these terrible heresies are taught so terribly commonly today. Also in the Reformed churches of today. We share the sentiments expressed by the author of the above quotation, and also his fears. Is this what we want? May the Lord give us His grace ever to be on the alert and to warn our children and the Church of God against these distortions of Holy Writ. These teachings purpose the destruction of the Church of God. Incidentally, the mailing address of this magazine is: P. 0. Box 7186, Tacoma, Washington 98407.